U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM

September 1, 2012IT'S OFFICIALSundhage is the new Swedish women's national coach

Pia Sundhage: "I long dreamed of becoming a Swedish national coach and now I'm so happy."
Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images

It's official. Pia Sundhage is the new Swedish women's national coach.

The Swedish Football Association made the announcement on its website on Saturday afternoon.

Sundhage, who directed the United States to gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and to the 2011 Women's World Cup final during her five-year tenure, will take over the coaching reigns on Dec. 1.

"We are extremely happy that we can now introduce Pia Sundhage as our next head coach," said the Swedish Football Association chairman Karl-Erik Nilsson said in a statement on the federation's website.

Sundhage, who announced she was leaving on Saturday prior to the Americans' 8-0 triumph over Costa Rica in Rochester, N.Y. said she wanted to return home.

"I long dreamed of becoming a Swedish national coach and now I'm so happy," she said.

Sundhage's contract will run for four years through Dec. 31, 2016, which will be through the 2015 WWC in Canada and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Sundhage will replace Thomas Dennerby, who resigned after an eight-year tenure as women's coach last month after the Olympics.

Sweden was in need of a national women's coach as soon as possible because it will host UEFA Women's Championship next summer.

"We have worked extremely hard in recent days to get ready with a new coach and [we] feels great joy today," SFA secretary Michael Santoft said in a statement on the organization's website.